The Tragicly Beautiful Story of Finnick and Annie
by PeanutButterLover21
Summary: Annie and Finnicks story from before the Hunger Games. Starts at Finnicks games ends with an alt. ending to Mockingjay.
1. Chapter 1

The Beginning

Chapter 1

I sit on the sandy shore looking out on the horizon. Looking at the beautiful

oranges, multiple shades of blues and majestic pinks that color the morning sky

in sun rise. The colors swirl around the sun to frame it in all its glory. As

if they rush to its side to say hello as they have welcomed me. The reflection

across the glassy water is almost identical to the original just above it. I

take in this wonderful scene for it will soon disappear with the dread that's

sure to come. Today is the reaping for the 65th Hunger Games. It is also my very

first reaping since I just turned 12 in the spring. I just have my name put in

there once and I'm already shaking in fear. Not just for me though. For my older

brother, Adam, for his friends, for my friends, and of course for my family.

What if my parents have to watch one of us die or...even worse. One of us kills

the other. No, I can't think this way. I have to remain positive and strong. Two

things people always try to do on reaping day but ultimately fail. No I will not

fail no matter who gets chosen. I stare back out at the horizon again and

notice the surface of the water has little ringlets of ripples gliding across

it's once smooth surface. I look up to see that boats have started to occupy the

nearly vacant sea. They would usually be worker boats. The ones that would

collect all the sea food from the ocean and turn it in for a profit or children

such as myself at the dock weaving nets or doing other varies activities to earn

extra cash for our families. Not today though. Today all these boats belong to

people who just want to get away and forget a day like this. To just relax and

enjoy the view like I was doing. One boat still tied at the docks catches the

corner of my eye. It's not that the boat is extravagant in color or size. It

actually blends in with the other boats around it with the off shade of gray

that covers it. It's the hand waving slightly in the air that gets my attention.

The owner of that hand one of my brothers closets friends. He may only be 2

years older than me but he already looks old enough to be called a man. To not

have his name in the reaping but he does. His names also in there an extra times

for tesserae. He himself is like the beach. He is tan from head to toe with

muscles that looks like the children came and sculpted it on his body as they do

with the sand. His hair is a beautiful bronze that's sticking out in every

direction. His eyes are a deep ocean blue green that are as vast as the sea

in front of us. Everyone seems to get lost in them which to be perfectly honest

isn't hard to do. His name is Finnick Odair. Just saying his name would probably

send over half of District 4 in a frenzy.

"Hey Annie!" He yells from his boat as he put down his rope. I give him a

small hi and a quick wave. This doesn't seem to satisfy him though because he

gets out of his boat and starts jogging on the dock towards me. I just slowly

stand from my previous crouch position as he gets closer. When he reaches me we

stand a distance away just looking at each other in the morning light. He's

breathing is rapid from his run over here. "Do I know what today is?" he asks

carefully. I laugh at his absurd question.

"How could I not? It's all anyone talks about." I respond looking up at him. It's true.

Once u turn 12 everyone gives you sad looks and miserably tells you happy birthday. You

also try to spend as much time with your friends just in case you have to face the

inevitable. I've been spending my whole summer with my friends or at least most of

my summer. I've also been working at the dock for my family so we don't have to

sign up for tesserae this year. He notices my pause and closes the gap between

us. He wraps his arms around me and I rest my head on his chest. We stay like

this for a while with him stroking my hair in a soothing rhythm. It feels

comfortable, natural even. I don't know why it does though. Maybe it's because I

have known him for a long time or maybe because he's replacing my brother right

now? I push the thought behind for another time and place. I breathe a thanks

into his shirt thankful that I'm not also ruining it with tears.

"Anytime, besides what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't comfort you?" I

pulled back surprised by his comment. My eyebrows raised in question. Were we

friends? I didn't know what to call us. Maybe I was his best friends little

sister but that just seems awkward.

"Yes, I consider you my friend. I have to look out for you for your brother

too." This spreads a smile across my face. Of course he would look out for me

for my brother. He would never want to for himself though.

"So how long have you been out here?" I wonder quickly to change the subject before

I do or say something I regret or that makes him upset.

"For about an hour. After a nearly sleepless night I decided that the ocean

would calm me down which it did." he smiles. I look out at the ocean and

immediately start to feel the calmness spread over me.

"Yes," I agree. "The ocean always has that effect on people." I point out.

"Is that why you came?" he asks eyeing me. He probably just wants to make sure I

don't have a problem at home.

"Yes." I answer simply still looking in the direction of the ocean. Its beauty

was so captivating I could help but to get hypnotized.

"How about you? How long have you been out here?" he returns. I ponder this for a

moment before answering "since around three" I concluded. Sounds about right

since I first got into bed around midnight. I remember tossing and turning for

what seemed like hours until I finally sneaked out to come here. So many

thoughts ran through my head last night that I'm not even sure that it happened.

The only evidence I have is my location. If I wasn't standing here, on the beach

still in Finnicks arms I would have thought it happened months ago.

"Well then you should start heading back home soon before your family wakes up and

notices you're gone". I sigh because I know he's right. I don't want to go

though. If I go home all that will be waiting for me is the Hunger Games. All

the preparation and worrying. It's just something I can't handle. I like it

here. The ocean with its soothing effect, the sun that's starting to light the

sky that has now turned a baby blue, me, standing here, in Finnicks arms. I

reluctantly pull away from him away, from the security. I stare at my shoe as I

mutter a goodbye and turn to walk away.

After walking up the beach towards my house I hear my name being called again.

I look back to see Finnick in the exact same spot I left him with his eyes

trained on me. "Good luck." he says in a slightly lower voice.

"You too and may the odds be ever in your favor." I return with a smile. As I

turn and walk away I hear him chuckle behind me but little did I know that that

would be the last time I would hear him laugh in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey everyone. Sorry I have not been able to update in a while. My life has been so busy that it's not even funny. I've had dance competitions and church retreats back to back and I only get to write these in my free time. Give me a break this is my first fan fiction ever. I personally don't like this chapter as much as my next chapter (which is almost done) but I hope you enjoy anyway. **

**I realize I didn't do this on my last chapter but I'll do it now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games or Finnick or Annie (but wouldn't it be so cool if I did).**

Chapter 2:

I didn't realize how cold it was until I was walking back to my house. I don't

know if it was from being away from Finnicks' arms or reality setting back in.

Another chill runs through my body as the thought of reaping day re-enters my

brain. The Hunger Games. The madness all starts again. The fear rushing through

your vains. The pounding of blood against your ears. The sighs of relief from

some while others cry loudly over lost loved ones. The melancholy looks on

the new tributes faces as the slowly make their way to the stage. Then they are

just gone, never be heard from again. People always lose their children to the

games. Whether it's from a silent or a bloody death or if they win, they are

never the same again. I've seen people before the games as nice as can be and go

in ready to kill anything and everything in sight. I've seen the bravest of the

brave go in scared of their own shadows. Last and the worst of all I've seen the

most head strong people end up with it not screwed on right. I guess you never

really know someone till there life's on the line. Till they are forced to make a

decision no sane person would freely make.

I'm now on my front porch with my hand resting on the knob

when I realize that I can't enter through the front door. I'll wake everyone up

and if my parents find out where I've been all night then I would be in huge

trouble. On a day like this, getting in trouble is the last thing you want to do.

I take my hand off the cold knob and back away from the shack we call a house,

looking at it in full view. It wasn't so bad compared to what we could be. I've

seen the poor people of District 4 with their raged clothes, fresh sores all

over their bodies and bones piping out of their skin. I feel bad for them I

truly do but I don't know what to do to help them. I give them food if I can but

my family always disapproves. I tell them to swap points of view. I mean if we

were in that position I would want people giving us food. That comment usually

shuts them up. I look around the outside of my house to make sure no one's

looking and walk towards the back. I hop our wood fence that separates the

backyard from the road and head straight for the back door. I press my hand on

the door and take a slow, deep breath as I push the door open. It protests with a

sharp squeak and I cringe at the sound but I hear no footsteps sprinting

towards the door so I assume it didn't wake anyone up and duck inside quickly. I

remove my shoes by the door and tip toe to my room where I flop down on my bed.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I know my name is pounding against

my eardrums. I sit straight up and run out of bed but stop myself at my door and

get a coherent thought through my head. _What time is it?_ I turn back and look at

my bed with a sigh of relief when I see the big number 11 flashing in red. 3

more hours till the reaping. I relax a little now knowing that I'll not be late

and calmly, or as calmly as someone could on reaping day, walk down to the

kitchen.

I'm greeted by 3 good mornings and my breakfast on the kitchen table. I feel a rush of happiness when I see these 3 faces that I love most but it only lasts a moment as I notice the nice clothes Adam's dressed in. Ugh! Reaping day. Now I really

don't think I can eat given the circumstances so I just pick at my toast in

silence with the rest of my family. Eventually it becomes unbearable so I excuse

myself from the table and head back to my room. Immediately after closing my

door though I hear two quick knocks. Concerned I run to my door and

find myself facing Adam. "Hey can I talk to you?" I nod and open my door more so he can walk in all the way. "Annie..." he begins unsure on how to bring up the subject on his mind. I walk

over to the bed and wait for him to continue. "This is your first year in the

reaping and I wanted you to know that no matter what happens, no matter who is

picked, I want you to remain strong. I don't know what will happen today but

please don't break down crying. It will just make mom and dad more worried about you.

If you must cry come back in here and cry in your room, okay?" He streams out

looking me straight in the eyes.

"But what if you're chosen?" I ask with a shaky voice. I don't think I will be

able to live if he gets picked. He is the one who decided to take the tesserae to

ensure my safety.

He sits down next to me with my bed squeaking in protest. "Then you will be able

to say goodbye to me at the Justice Building and know that I'm strong and will

try as hard as I can to make it out of the area alive". As he finishes tears

well up in my eyes as he paints the picture in my head. I could see my brother's

name being called and looking over at him with tears in my eyes. His face would

be full of determination but his eyes would give him away but I would be to detect it.

He would climb on stage and stand next to Peal

with his head held high. He would shake hands with his district partner and

would be escorted off stage. I stopped there because I could barely handle the

thought of saying my last goodbyes to him and fell into a hug. I have to say fell because the image had such an effect on me that I had no energy left in my body to reach out and crush him into an embrace. He strokes my hair and allows me to soak his shirt with tears.

After a long silence Adam whispers something about the reaping and leaves the room. I stare at his spot for a moment before finally getting up and walking over to the closet to change into a dress that could be equivalent to my funeral dress.


	3. Chapter 3

**An: Hey everyone. Sorry again for the long delay. Competition season is never easy. Also all my teachers decided to give me tests before star testing and now it's close to the end of the year so the teachers are trying to fit everything in. I just got confirmed too so I'm super excited. Don't worry I haven't forgotten you all and I will try to update more often. P.S. I always try to write some of this while I'm at my studio on my IPod so I always work on it. Some of you have pointed out that the formats weird so to fix it I have to re-type the whole thing. Thanks for bring it to my attention though. I never would have known. I'm really excited for this chapter and I have some great ideas coming up. I think I might do Finnick's games through Annie's POV still but I don't know if it will stay. I might flip between them. What do you think? Also I might start posting some of the songs I listen to when I write this to get a feel for the characters. Tell me what you think. ~PeanutButterLover21**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.**

Chapter 3

We go to the square for the reaping. The silence around us is so overpowering it's suffocating. Our walks are stiff and heavy as each unbearable step hits the solid ground. My breath gets shallow as I think of 1 of the millions of possibilities of how today could turn out. I can only hope it turns out as one of the happier ones. I pry my cold, lifeless fingers off my parents' jackets and slowly make my way over to what could be the end with my brother by my side.

Since District 4 is bigger than most districts, we have peacekeepers checking people in. They stand in front of each section, staring out, unmoving with a list of names. You can just make out the tapping of their pencils hitting against the clip board repeatedly while they wait impatiently for children to check in. I look up from my feet that have been scuffing along the gravel pavement and see a big, ruff mountain of a peacekeeper standing at the girls 12 year old section that looks alert and focused. They always have this peacekeeper here just in case a girl or two freaks out and tries to run away. I don't really know his name because we have so many peacekeepers here and they all look the same. With that big white hat and the same white uniform that's perfect in every way. They even share the same blank bored expression, most of the time; the reaping is always an exception. I think his name is Doug or something of the sort. I look him straight in the eye trying to look as confident as possible with my chest out and my head held high.

"Name?" He asks in a stern, impassive voice.

"Annie Cresta". I say with a little crack in my voice that ruins my act. My brother besides me sneaks a look out of the corner of his eye to make sure there are no tears. Not yet, I think, but hopefully never. Doug runs his pencil down the list and stops near the top. Alphabetical order of course. I roll my eyes but stop quickly as I think of all the names on that list and the temperature feels like it has dropped 20 degrees. All those names. Oh. All. Those. Names. Any one of them could be picked and I know most of them considering we are all in the same year at school. I close my eyes and can picture my best friend Makenna's name on that list. In that big, bold, black print, the same way it's written in that huge, transparent ball on the stage.

"And what's your name?" he questions mockingly leaning towards my brother. My brothers hands tense and slowly clench into a fist. He's eyes are glaring daggers into Doug's face. You could almost see the steam blowing out of his ears like a train speeding down its tracks, rushing to get to its destination. The peacekeeper saw his position and smiled, "Go ahead, do it. Let's see who can win princess but just remember that I can make things happen. Make people go places they don't want to go. Maybe you'll find yourself in the area next or maybe Annie will find her cute little self there." He puts a finger under my chin and curls it around. "Yes she would get plenty of sponsors with that pretty face". I ignore his comment and use all the strength in my 12 year old body to push my brother away from the now smirking peacekeeper.

"Adam! Adam!" I say trying to break through to him. He held his gaze with Doug for a moment longer before his eyes dart down towards me.

"What". He says still full of tense and anger. He was ready to lounge at Doug at any moment at a single command and then I may never see him again.

"Ummmm...umm..." I scatter to collect my thoughts. "It's not worth it. Trust me. Imagine what mom or dad would react if you were taken away from them and into the Games. Imagine how angry they would be at you for picking a fight. Please, please don't. Don't do it...for me". I say looking up at him with my best puppy dog eyes. I see his face immediately soften at my expression and he gives me a quick hug.

"Ok but I'm going to my area now so good luck". He releases me and starts to walk away when I call back.

"Adam". He glances back at me and as soon as he meets my eyes it's as if a whole conversation passes between our eyes. All the words that I wish I could say to him flow easily on our gazes. My mouth is dry as the desert wasteland that used to be a part of North America. I open my mouth to say something but instead nothing comes out. He just nods quickly and runs off to the boys' 14 year old section, leaving me to walk back to my section alone.

A couple minutes later, our district escort, Pearl McCourt, skips up to the stage with our mayor, Zook. Pearl takes a seat in one of the 10 seats available near the back of the stage. The other nine are for the victors of District 4. In the past 64 years, we have had 6 boys and 3 girls win the Hunger Games. Most of them are old and withered from stress or other elements such as drinking. They all proceed on stage, one at a time, waving to the crowd. The oldest among them was Mags. She won way back when the Hunger Games barely pasted its first decade. I like her the best out of them all. She's had at least one pleasant conversation with everyone and District 4 loves her. Once they are all on stage they take a seat and a steady silence begins to spread.

Mayor Zook comes up to the mic and recites the same speech he has said ever since he first became mayor. It depicts of a time called the Dark Days then the rebellion which brings us the Hunger Games. I don't pay attention much to this because if I do I know I will be frightened like the first time when I was 7. I had nightmares for a month after. I look around at the girls around me and made eye contact with my friend, Makenna. She gives me a sad smile that I return before she focuses up front. "Ladies first" The statement rings through my ears as my attention goes back to the stage. Pearl strolls over to the bowl as if she were taking a walk on a sunny day. She threw her hand into the bowl and mixed it around until she found one she liked. She drew it out sharply and held it the air for all to see as she made her way back to the mic. She then unfolded it and read the name in a loud, clear voice, "Matilda Bagger".

I let out a sigh of relief that it's not one of my friends or me but immediately I feel pity for the skinny 13 year old girl that starts to walk on stage. As soon as her foot makes contact with the stage, though, a 17 year old girl shoots up her hand, volunteering. The little girl runs off stage right into her mother's arms. I don't blame her. I would have done the same thing.

I'm so consumed with the girl that I missed the name of the older girl and the boy's name. I look around idly wondering who it was when I stare right into a pair of sea green eyes. My breath stops and I grab onto the closest person to me. _No, this can't be happening. _I think. _How could he get picked out of all the boys in District 4. _It's impossible but every time I look up I see those same eyes staring straight at me. Reaching out into my soul. Pleading for help but there's nothing I can do. His fate is in their hands now. The Capitals. Where he will most likely not be coming home. I look at the ground but not seeing anything. Just spacing out like a standing corpse. I probably was as pale as one. For he has been reaped. The boy whose eyes captivate everyone. The boy whose kind and patient smile shines through even the toughest situations. For the boy whose been like a brother to me has been reaped. Finnick.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Hey guys! So my school is giving us a week off for Thanksgiving so I decided to post a new chapter everyday. To all those that doubt me all I have to say is...challenge accepted. :) Just know that the story on Thanksgiving will either be posted the day after or it might be short because I will be spending time with my family.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games nor the characters in it.**

Chapter 4

Once the reaping's over, they lead Finnick and his District partner into the Justice building. I only know this because the person I grabbed onto shook me out of my state.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked. I look up to find a boy in my class named James. He has shiny, short black hair that spikes a little at the end and hazel eyes that are more on the dark blue side due to his navy shirt. He has been in my class for years but I never really talked to him. I try and muster up a smile and nod my head weakly.

" Ya, I'm fine." He pushes me to my feet gently and nods his head towards the Justice building.

"You better hurry if you want to see them. They could have a lot of visitors". I say a quick thank you and run into the building. It's the first time I've ever been in the Justice Building and I hope it's my last. It's not that it's scary or frightening in appearance. It's actually very interesting with the stone tile that covers the floor and walls giving it an eery feeling. The red curtains with the capital symbol on them covers half of the windows, not allowing all the light to enter. Unfortunately, that's exactly how I feel, like no light can enter my body at the moment for Finnick, the boy with the amazing eyes, with the comforting touch is going into the Hunger Games and nothing can save him now. I continue walking as I see two doors with peacekeepers in front of them. My eyes search for Adams as I scan the lines. Blue eyes meet mine as I run up to the line outside what must be Finnick's door. I rush towards him and embrace him as tightly as I can.

"Annie….I-I can't do this." He states shakily. I pull back at arms length and look him straight in the eyes.

"Yes you can, Adam." I reassure him while shaking him lightly. "Finnick needs you now and he's probably scared. He needs a friend." I smile warmly at him, hoping my message sank in.

His face turns pale for a second before retaining its color. He gulped, his adams apple bobbing, as he nods his head repeatedly. "Okay. I can do this." He says more to himself than me. The peacekeeper standing in the front of Finnick's door shouts next and that was Adams que to leave. As Adam walks in I saw Finnick's younger sister, Kailana, walk by while tears streaked down her face. I feel so bad for her. Soon she will have to watch her only brother fight to the death in a televised event that she is too young to understand. I remember when I was her age, I barely knew what the Hunger games were and, now that Finnick's going in, she will be forced to understand, one way or another. I make a promise to myself then and there that I will become a friend to her and help her with anything she needs. A door slamming breaks me out of my train of thought as I look up to see the dark-haired head of my brother staring at the ground. _Oh shit._ I thought. _I'm next. What am I going to say? _I panic as I reach towards the door and turn the ice-cold handle. Taking a few steps in, I faintly hear a voice behind me say, "You'll have two minutes."

Looking across the room I could see Finnick sitting on a red velvet sofa. His elbows were on his knees while his head was in his hands while slowly rocking back and forth. His hunched back shows all the distress he's been through in the last half hour. I shift my weight, uncomfortable with how to approach him. Here this broken man sits in front of me and I know there's nothing I can do to truly easy his suffering. Slowly, I walk towards him and kneel so that I'm eye level with him. For a moment I stay there thinking he's going to move or acknowledge me in some way but the silence stretched on. Carefully I reach for his hands and gently collect both of them in my hands. I rub my hands over his creating warmth while giving him a kind smile. He slowly meets my eyes and what I see makes me want to break down. His face looks as if it has aged twice as fast as his eyes bore into mine. Staring into them I notice his eyes are full of unshed tears, pleading with me to stay with him. I pull him in to a comforting hug as my hand trails up and down his back slowly. He soon sheds his tears which quickly turn into sobs that rack through his body. "Shhhh" I coon. "It's okay. Everything will be fine." I lied. To be honest, I don't know how this will end. His odds are not the best with 23 other people wanting to get back to their own families; plus he's only 14. He's going to be one of the youngest competitors in the whole area, fighting against much bigger and stronger opponents. I dispel these thoughts from my head as we stay in this position for a while longer while Finnick's sobs die out. "You can do this Finnick. You can win this. Your're smart and brave and know how to hunt. All you need to do is out live the others. Get sponsors and...come back home. Please. Never give up." I urge him. As I pull back to look him in the eye. "Oh also, I'm going to look after her." I added quickly. "Your sister. I'll make sure she's alright."

"Thank you Annie. I will try." He says robotically. As if he's said the same thing to every other person that's come to visit him today. I stare into his sea green eyes determined to get a more convincing response.

"Promise?" I questioned feeling like a 5 year old again.

His expression changed to confusion as he tried to piece together what I meant. "What?"

"Promise me Odair. Promise me that you are going to try your hardest to get out of that area alive and come home to us." At this point I was on the verge of tears as he stared right back into my green eyes.

"I promise, Annie. You have my word." He genuinely spoke never breaking eye contact with me. We continue to stare for a second longer before I look down to the floor, blushing.

"Here." I say shyly as I slide my rope bracelet onto his wrist. "I thought you might want it. To remind you of home and the people waiting for you and why you are fighting."

"Thank you Annie." He says while looking down at it with a faint smile playing on his lips. Suddenly, his head snaps up to me and I notice a different emotion in his eyes as they meet mine. It looks like a mix of gratitude and something more that I can't place. "and just so you know I-"

"Times up!" Finnick's sentence was cut off by the peacekeeper barging into his room. Finnick's eyes flash in disappointment for a split second before they harden. I didn't want to move from my position kneeling in front of Finnick with my hands in his. _Wait_. _When did that happen?_ I wasn't given much time to ponder that for I was grabbed around my waist while my hands were being ripped from his. Tears were pouring down my face as I yelled for him, reaching to touch him one last time.

"Don't hurt her!" Finnick yelled at the peacekeeper as I was being dragged out of the room. Just before the door was slammed in my face, I could see Finnick's eyes and the message they said behind them. _Stay with me. _I wish I could Finnick. I wish I could.

As soon as I was put down, I turn to Adam and run to his arms. I feel him walk me out and as we exit I could hear him say, "Looks like we both broke our promises." I chuckle at his lame attempt of a joke but it doesn't feel right. I feels unnatural. So as we continue to walk silence engulfs us as I think about how much I never want to go back to that building again. Ever.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Day two and here's the next chapter! Better late than never. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games! I also do not own Finnick or Annie.**

Chapter 5

The rest of the walk home was gloomy and depressing. The happy people walking by seemed to be mocking us with their over exaggerated laughter and face spitting smiles. I just want this sick joke to be over. I just want to curl up in my bed and ignore everyone. Nothing can fix this day. As soon as I set foot in my house I run to my bedroom and jump into my bed, swallowing myself in blankets. Tears start to trickle down my face as I picture his face again. Soon it's as if a dam has been broken and a river of tears pour down my face. My pillow soon becomes wet and squishy as my tears soak it. I don't know how long I'm there, only that it has become dark and I have no tears left to shed. Soon, my room becomes too enclosed for me and I long for the fresh sea breeze upon my face.

* * *

><p>The cool sea breeze almost erases the troubles of the day. Almost. It lingers in my mind around every corner. Not even mother natures light whispers of comfort could make this all disappear. The sun that caresses my face feels too hot and uncomfortable. The sand that crunches under my toes feels too grainy and rough today. The beach usually makes me feel at ease. It transfers me to another world where everything is calm and serene. I feel like I belong. Apparently, today's an exception. I'm pulled out of my reprieve by the sound of high-pitched sniffles. Looking down a ways, I can see a small figure with waist length bronze hair and tan skin wearing a light blue dress. "Kailana." I breathe as I run towards the crying little girl. I approached her with my hands slightly extended in a cautious yet welcoming way. "Kailana." I started. She remained in her position but her crying quieted a bit so she could hear me. "My name's Annie. I'm a friend of Finnick's." Her head snaps up at the sound of his name. She slowly turned towards me and ran into me with a bone crushing hug. Her tears made a reappearance as they streamed down her face and into my dress. "It's okay honey. He'll be okay." I soothed her. Hoping my words have helped her in some sort of way. I mean what else are you suppose to say. <em>I'm sorry your brother got chosen to fight to the death with 23 other children. he will most likely not come back and I'm sorry for your loss? <em>That just seems cruel yet everything about the Hunger Games is cruel.

"How do you know?" She hiccupped into my shoulder. Excellent question. _How do I know?_

"I just do." I answered knowingly. "Trust me." I smiled into her hair as her tears slowed. "So why are you out here by yourself?" I inquire, trying to take her mind off of Finnick and the Games.

"Every year, after the reaping, Finnick would take me to the beach so we could play around and spend time together but this year..." She trailed off while looking up at me with her tear-stained face. _Poor girl._ I thought. Well, I did promise myself to get to know her better and looks like my opportunity has arrived.

"Hey, how about I play with you instead." I offered with a small smile. Her sea-foam green eyes meet mine as they widened slightly. She bits her lip, uncertain about playing with a stranger but nods slowly nevertheless.

* * *

><p>"Haha no." I laughed as I look back down at the lump of sand at my feet. Her bucket tossed to the side carelessly and her failed attempt staring back at her. She throws her blue plastic shovel on the ground, clearly frustrated with her lack of sand castle skills. "You need to use dry sand with it." I informed her confidently.<p>

"What are you talking about? I followed exactly what you told me to do!" She stated in a matter of fact. She stuck her hip out while putting her hands on them giving me a pouty face.

"Here, how about you make this one with me this time." I suggest as I pick up her disregarded bucket and shovel and offer them back to her. She glanced at them out of the corner of her eye and sighed, frustrated.

"Alright." She says a little defeated taking the shovel out of my hand. I gathered up all the sand and met her at her spot. Packing the sand in very tightly, I put her hands under mine and flipped the bucket over together. Reluctantly, we pulled up and a perfect dome-shaped sand sculpture was produced. Her face breaks out into a smile as she stares at it. "Hurry Annie. Let's build the rest of it." She runs away getting more sand, giggling the whole way.

We ended up with a four tower castle with windows, a princess, and a flag to top it off. We took a step back and admired our creation. "Wow, it looks amazing." Kailana smiles a face splitting smile, never taking her eyes of our castle.

"Ya. It sure does." I agree as I look back at the ocean one more time. "Oh" _Dang it! _The sky had been replaced with an inky blue blanket with no blemishes except for the big glowing moon in the middle of it. "I better get you home. It's late!" I exclaim as I grab her bucket and her hand. We walk off the beach in silence thinking back on the day. Playing at the beach, making a new friend, and having your brother's best friend reaped all in one day can really make a person think. _Finnick. _His name makes me want to start crying again. I can't even imagine what this must feel like for Kailana. My hand reaches for my neck as an idea forms in my head. I stop walking and notice we have arrived at her home. _Perfect. _I kneel down in front of her and remove my neckless, attaching it to the back of her neck. "Here, I want you to have this."

She looks down at her neck sees all the shells that decorate the side of it. What really catches her attention thought is the pearl in the center of it all. She carefully turns it over in her hands as she looks back at me. "It's pretty." She states simply.

"Thanks I made it." She looks at me surprised.

"You made this!" She shrieks. "That's amazing!"

"I can show you how to make one sometime, if you want." I shrug. It would be a great way to bond with her. Plus I've been dying to make a new one anyway.

"Thank you Annie. That would be amazing!" She smiles and throws her arms around me in a tight hug. I chuckle at her lively reacting and squeeze her back. The sound of a heavy wooden door makes me look up, right into the face of Finnick's mother.

"Hi Mrs. Odair." I greet while letting go of Kailana and standing. "I brought Kailana back home from the beach to make sure nothing happened to her."

"Thank you Annie." She says stiffly. I could see her blood shot eyes and puffy cheeks and can only assume that she's been crying all day. She takes Kailana's hand and pulls her into the house and into a tight hug. I could see her desperately holding onto her daughter, trying to protect her within her grasp. She glances back at me before quickly making eye contact with the floor. "Umm. You and Your brother a-are welcome...to come over tomorrow and watch the opening ceremonies with us... if you would like."

I give her a kind grin and nod my head slightly. "Sounds great! I'm sure Adam would love to."

"Great. Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She states as she turns away from me and slowly closes the door.

"Okay bye Mrs. Odair. Bye Kailana." I wave before beginning my walk home but before I'm left to my thoughts and the chilly night air I hear a low and shy voice.

"Bye Annie."


End file.
